Three South Bend men were arrested Sunday night, Jan. 11, 2015, after one of them ran from the LaPorte Walmart store (which was open at the time) pushing a cart with two large TVs in it.
According to a LaPorte Police report:
“A sales associate told police she observed a male enter the electronics section and load two Sony 48-inch flat-screen televisions into a shopping cart. As the man started to leave the section, she told him he would have to pay for the TV’s in electronics. He ignored her and continued towards the front of the store. He began running with the cart and passed the checkout lanes. He left the store and was seen running to a Dodge Magnum in the parking lot, where he loaded the televisions into the vehicle, which fled.
“A LaPorte Police officer who was coming on duty from Ind. 2 East heard the theft dispatch with a description of the suspect vehicle. He then observed the vehicle pass him, heading east on Ind. 2. He turned around to catch up with the vehicle, which increased its speed, eventually turning east onto U.S. 20. The vehicle was then stopped near the intersection of U.S. 20/CR 600 E. with the assistance of other LaPorte city and county officers.
“Both of the stolen televisions were located in the rear of the vehicle, along with a bottle of alcohol, which was later determined to have been stolen from Kroger in LaPorte.
“During a free air sniff, LaPorte Police K-9, Rambo alerted officers to the presence of drugs, leading to the discovery of cocaine and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle.”
Arrested were Steven D. Martin, 44, charged with Theft, Possession of Cocaine and Possession of (drug) Paraphernalia, all Level 6 felonies; and Mustafaa A. Slim, 21, and James L. White Jr., 26, both charged with Theft, Level 6 felonies.